Inouye helps Moanalua shutdown Roosevelt, 11-0


Moanalua's Tanner Inouye went four shutout innings a win over Roosevelt, striking out four and walking two. Greg Yamamoto | SL

MAKIKI — Tanner Inouye got the Moanalua baseball team off on the right foot in its season opener Wednesday afternoon.

Inouye, a junior right-handed pitcher, did not allow a hit in four innings pitched and got more than enough run support from his offense as Moanalua opened the Oahu Interscholastic Association season with an 11-0 five-inning win over Roosevelt at Stevenson Middle School.

Na Menehune (1-0) went on the offensive early, scoring four runs on six hits in the top of the first, and used three long balls to dispatch the Rough Riders (0-1).

"It feels good to get the 'W,' especially in this way," said Inouye, who threw just 44 pitches in the outing. "I was just throwing strikes and my defense had my back."

Inouye recorded six ground-ball outs, four fly-ball outs and struck out two batters. He allowed just one base runner on a one-out walk in the bottom of the fourth after retiring the first 10 batters he faced.

"He got ahead, so that was the key," Moanalua coach Scott Yamada said. "He kept the ball down, kept it inside, so he was good today."

Roosevelt coach Les Loo praised the effort of Inouye, who was the No. 2 starter for Na Menehune last year.

"He did an excellent job," Loo said. "He threw strikes — that's all he did — and we put the ball in play, but they made all the defensive plays."

Skyler Yamamoto pitched the final inning. He allowed Roosevelt's only two hits — both singles — but benefitted from a double-play.

The Rough Riders did not get a base runner past first base.

"We only have two seniors, so we're a very young team, but that's no excuse," Loo said. "(Moanalua) is a great team. They hit the ball, they didn't make any physical errors, their pitchers threw strikes. They just played a great game today."

Meanwhile, the offense rapped out 12 hits, including five extra-base hits.

Moanalua sent nine batters to the plate in the top of the first. Kekaulike Kalua singled in Dilan Casupang for the first run and after stealing second, he came around to score on Andrew Oasay's double to centerfield. Two batters later, Kenji Yamaguchi belted a 1-0 pitch for an opposite-field home run over the rightfield fence.

"I just saw fastball, high and outside," said Yamaguchi, a senior first baseman. "I was just trying to work on pushing my right hand through the ball. Overall it was a team effort. I think my team's been working hard in the cage. We're not a really big team, so I'm kind of happy about the result we had today."

Yamada said a strong cross wind during pregame factored into the approach his team took at the plate.

"We've just been working with them to stay on top of the ball," Yamada said of Yamaguchi. "Today the wind was really strong before the game, so we were trying to tell them to stay on top of the ball more and go to right field, so it worked out."

Casupang reached on a double to lead off the top of the second, advanced to third on a sac bunt by Nicholas Enrico and scored on a wild pitch by Roosevelt starting pitcher Aaron Emoto, who allowed nine runs on 11 hits in 3 1/3 innings of work.

Na Menehune added two runs in each of the next three innings, including back-to-back solo homers by Kalua and Oasay in the fourth.

Kalua, Oasay and Yamaguchi each finished with two RBIs for Moanalua, while Casupang batted 2 for 3 with two runs scored from the leadoff spot and No. 8 hitter Jerred Soriano went 2 for 2 with two runs scored.

The teams split two regular-season meetings last year. They will play again on March 27 at Moanalua.

Both teams next play Saturday, when Moanalua hosts Castle and Roosevelt visits Kailua.



Reach Kalani Takase at [email protected].